Metal ferrules are desirable for securing cords, such as strands of wire or the like, where closed-loop connection is desirable, for example, in fastening jewelry clasps and like findings, posts, netting frames and the like.
In the jewelry arts, cords comprised of, for example, monofilament, braided strands or cording of natural or synthetic origin, jewelry wire and the like are used for stringing beads and like stringable objects for making closed-loop articles of jewelry, such as necklaces, bracelets, belts and the like which may incorporate interengaging but releasable cooperating clasp pairs. For instance, a cord that is a flexible, plastic-coated, multiple stranded, cable-type stainless steel wire, commonly called "jewelry wire" or "tiger tail", is highly desired because of its strength characteristics.
For convenience, the term "cord" is used generically herein to include both natural and synthetic organic and inorganic (including metal) strands, filaments (monofilament or polyfilament), threads, cords, wires (including jewelry wire) and the like, whether coated or uncoated, or single or multiple stranded. Preferably, a cord has the flexibility, strength and suitable fine diameter that make it suitable for use in forming an article of jewelry, such as a necklace, bracelet, belt, broach or the like which article comprises or incorporates string beads or other stringable objects that are strung on a cord.
The term "ferrule" is used herein to indicate a small torroidal or ring like structure comprised of a ductile or formable material which is preferably a metal, such as steel, soft brass, copper, silver, sterling silver, aluminum, alloys thereof and the like. A ferrule can have a gold or silver plate finish or other finish coating. A ferrule can be, in example, of the type that is commonly used to secure the free end of a looped cord that has been passed through an eyelet or the like that is associated with a jewelry clasp or the like.
The term "free end of a cord" and equivalent grammatical variations thereof, as used herein, refers generally to the leading or terminal length of a cord, such as the length extending beyond the first or last bead (or strung object) in a string of beads (or strung objects) intended to comprise a closed-loop article of jewelry.
As those familiar with the art of jewelry making will appreciate, a closed-loop article of jewelry is generally finished by interconnecting a pair of opposed terminal loops of cord where each such loop is at a different opposite end of a plurality of strung beads or the like. At each opposite strung cord end, cord is formed into a terminal loop. In each loop, a different one of a pair of interengagable jewelry clasps is held. Thus, the respective opposite ends of a strung cord are each associated with a different one member of a pair of interengagable clasps. When the clasps are engaged, the closed loop article of jewelry is formed. A pair of interengagable jewelry clasps can comprise any one of various two-piece matable closures, such as, for example, a hook and an eye, a crab claw and a ring, ratchet-like clasp connectors, or the like. Each member of a clasp connector pair typically is provided with a ring, ear, or eyelet, or other fastening member with which the free end of a cord is secured, engaged, strung, or the like. For convenience, such a fastening member that is associated with a clasp member or the like is termed a "connection member" herein.
In conventional jewelry making practice, a ferrule that is used for cord securing purposes as in a looped article of jewelry or the like is first threaded or strung circumferentially over the free end of a cord. Conventionally, the ferrule is regarded as a bead, or a short tube, that is sometimes called a "French" crimp, a "finishing bead", or a "crimp cylinder". The free end of the cord is next typically threaded or strung through a connection member of a clasp connection and then is looped back and passed again through the same ferrule. The ferrule thus typically contains adjacently two cord portions, namely, a portion of the captured cord leading from the last one of the previously strung beads or the like and a cord portion adjacent the cord end, both of which portions must be secured together to stabilize and maintain the thus formed loop. The resulting ferrule is subsequently compressed diametrically against both radially adjacent cord portions to form a cord securing fastener which, ideally, then immovably anchors or fastens the adjacent cords together with the terminal loop being fastened or retained to the connection member. A similar procedure can be followed for anchoring the opposing free end of the same cord of the looped article of jewelry to the connection member of the interengagable second one of the selected clasp connector pair.
Preferably, the cord securing ferrule provides an attractive element in a finished article of jewelry or is small enough to be inobtrusive. In compressing a ferrule with a hand-operated tool such as a pliers, however, it is difficult to uniformly radially deform the ferrule about its circumference to a smaller diameter and still keep it attractively rounded. For large volume production of standardized jewelry, specially designed, sophisticated powered machinery can be used which can uniformly deform a ferrule to form a smooth and inobtrusive cord fastener. However, an individual jewelry artisan and practitioner, such as designers, crafts persons, small-volume custom jewelry manufacturers, and the like do not usually have access to such costly, sophisticated powered machinery. Consequently, producers of hand-made jewelry, whose products clearly would benefit from using jewelry wire and like cords, tend not to use such cords owing to the lack of low-cost, reliable, effective, easily-used, hand-operatable ferrule forming or compressing equipment and procedures.
Heretofore, the only ferrule-forming tools generally available and recommended for use by individual jewelry artisans and practitioners were conventional pliers, such as a flat nose pliers or the like. Indeed, general jewelry-making texts simply instruct the artisan to flatten (that is, crimp) the ferrule between the jaws of a conventional pliers. However, pliers generally are ill suited for forming a well shaped and rounded compressed ferrule, especially when using the relatively small ferrules desired for articles of jewelry.
Thus, in the prior art of jewelry making, the end result obtained by diametrically deforming (i.e, crimping) a ferrule by hand with a conventional flat-nosed pliers is a flattened ferrule having a generally unaesthetic appearance. Not only does such a flattened ferrule detract from the overall appearance of the resulting article of jewelry, but also such article frequently has rough edges that are associated with the crimped ferrule which can scratch the skin or clothing of the wearer.
Also, the compressive force exertable by hand upon a ferrule generally either is insufficient to obtain an adequate strong tight securement about cord portions, or is excessive so that the portions of a cord that are located in or adjacent to a compressed ferrule can be flattened or even partly cut and damaged (and thereby weakened). The problem of insufficient or improper ferrule crimping, for example, is experienced commonly by persons who are very young, very elderly or suffering from muscular weakness in the hands as from carpal tunnel syndrome, hand injury, arthritis or the like. If cord securement by a ferrule is not sufficient, then the free end of the secured cord eventually can loosen from the compressed ferrule and disengage itself from the associated clasp member. This increases the risk of loss of some or all of the strung beads, or even the entire article of jewelry.
Further, in the prior art, even a properly crimped (that is, a diametrically flattened) ferrule characteristically has relatively poor cord retaining capability relative to the cord or cords which have been threaded through the ferrule before the crimping. With the passage of time, and/or through the normal stresses and strains that occur through jewelry usage, there is a tendency for the flattened ferrule to loosen or expand. Even a very slight dimensional change in a diametrically flattened ferrule can result in a diminution or relaxation of the initial holding capacity of the flattened ferrule against the cord(s) therein, thereby permitting unwanted and undesirable longitudinal cord movement and slippage relative to the deformed ferrule.
Another problem is that conventional pliers are not configured for use between closely spaced beads and jewelry findings, or for use in compressing relatively small cylindrical objects such as a ferrule to produce an aesthetic shape. For example, a typical initially round ferrule known as a "crimp bead" can be about 0.09 inches (about 2.25 millimeters) in both length and diameter, and a typical tubular ferrule known as a "crimp cylinder" can vary in diameter from about 0.06 inches (about 1.5 millimeters) to about 0.12 inches (about 3 millimeters) and in length from about 0.25 inches (about 6.25 millimeters) to about 0.5 inches (about 12.5 millimeters).
Accordingly, there is a need in the jewelry making art for a relatively simple, low cost hand tool that is useful for forming a ferrule in such a way that the resulting formed ferrule has an attractive, relatively smooth, rounded shape end. Also, such a tool should require only a relatively small amount of manual compressive force to form a ferrule.
In addition, and most importantly, there is a need in the jewelry making art for a new and improved method for forming and affixing a ferrule to a cord so that a superior mechanical attachment results between the cord and the affixed ferrule.
These needs are met by the therein disclosed inventive, ferrule-forming forceps and ferrule-forming method.